Three Things Thursday (gasp!) – Actually on Thursday, March 26, 2015

I can’t believe that I’m actually posting my weekly contribution to the lovely Nerd in the Brain’s Three Things Thursday Challenge on the day it’s due (and not lame and belatedly later that week.)

I am such an overachiever!  At least, this morning.  So in no particular order, three things this week that made me smile:

Surprise breakfast at work!  They had an event planned for 10 people and only 6 showed up so there were very tasty brekkkie leftovers for the rest of us.  Yum!

Surprise breakfast at work! They had an event planned for 10 people and only 6 showed up so there were very tasty brekkkie leftovers for the rest of us. Yum!

My orchid is blooming!

My orchid is blooming!  All five plants are budding, but this is the first to blossom.

Atlanta dabbled with Spring a few days this week - my co-worker and I took a stroll to the Fairlie-Poplar district of downtown to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. (Wait! Is that dude flipping me off?!!??)

Atlanta dabbled with Spring a few days this week – my co-worker and I took a stroll to the Fairlie-Poplar district of downtown to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. (Wait! Is that dude flipping me off?!!??)

And there was pizza, at a sidewalk cafe.

Bonus! And there was pizza, at a sidewalk cafe.

Thank you again, NITB, for your wonderful inspiration! I hope you all have had a lovely week with many things to be happy about!
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Hell’s Belles

atoz-theme-reveal-2015Despite a level of of fear and trepidation I typically reserve for dentist appointments, I just signed up for the Blogging from A-Z April (2015) Challenge. This is a writing quest to blog each day in the month of April (except for Sunday, which you get “off” for good behavior.) For these 26 days, you’re asked to write “thematically” from A through Z, taking on a new “letter” daily as your source of inspiration. (Ack! ‘Zounds!)

Obviously, I don’t got a “lick of sense,” as my Granny would have said, because I’ve taken this a little further and joined the bloggers picking an underlying theme for the A-Z theme of their daily challenge. ea495251ac8fd45e5ecaa4c2604c66f0 I’m going to do my best to write about the South: the place I call my home, the food I love and the culture I respect, the roots of my humor and every once in a while, Hell'sbellesposta  source of embarrassment (Honey Boo Boo, Real Housewives of Atlanta or Duck Dynasty, anyone? ::shudders::) How being raised to be a “lady,” and the perfect little “princess” translates into a world where the door’s no longer held open for me; it’s sometimes slammed into my butt.

The juxtaposition of very old and revered (and occasionally woefully dusty and outdated) and the spangly new: sometimes bright and fresh, sometimes bling-y and gaudy, studded with trailers and high-rises, dusted with Dawgs and debutantes, and swirled and twirled into the inner urb’s and outer ‘burbs that make up the New South.

I’d love your suggestions for discussion or your stereotypes to be debunked and we’ll sop ’em all up with a biscuit, while discussing Southern Life, or at least life as a modern “belle,” from A through Z and to Handbaskets from Hell.

Three Things Thursday (Saturday): March 21, 2015

Oh, the shame.

Once again, my weekly contribution to Ms. Fabulous Nerd in the Brain’s Three Things Thursday is dawdling into the blog arena on Saturday like a lethargic slug. (Do slugs dawdle? Hmmm. It’s time for coffee.)

Anyhow, my week was filled with stressy work stuff, and way too many events. I told my boss I was calling in “well” on Friday, and I did. So the first major “happy” of the week: much needed day off.

This is my "generic" gleeful face photo shot.  David thought I should have for for whenever someone finally buys me a pony.

Insert my “generic” gleeful face photo.  David thought I should practice for whenever someone finally buys me a pony.

The big happy of this week is that we are having a little dinner party tonight with some good friends, that we are calling, “Tardy to the Paddy’s Party,” because last week when it was actually St. Patrick’s Day, it was also too nutty at work to try to celebrate anything. Since photos from tonight’s event will most likely appear  next Thursday Saturday for Three Things Thursday, I can show you some happy “getting ready for the party” shots.

Irish inspiration for the morning java

Irish inspiration for the morning java

Arranging flowers (btw, Mark Bialczak, Trader Joe’s has awesomely inexpensive flowers) for the dinner table.

Daffodils, hydrangea, tulips and cala lilies

Daffodils, hydrangea, tulips and cala lilies

In honor of the first day of spring: 2015-03-20 17.05.09 2015-03-20 16.59.18

Jeeves, alligator butler and bearer of "Springtime."

Jeeves, alligator butler and bearer of “Springtime.”

Hopefully, Spring is springing up wherever you are! Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day and Happy weekend! three-things-thursday-spreading-happiness1

Thanksgiving 2014: Countdown of Odd Gratitudes

I’ve spent the last two days being grateful for unusual (read: weird) things (turkey and dressing, clothing racks) so I think I’ve stumbled into a trend that I will ride until the holiday.

Today’s oddity I’m grateful for: my alligator butler, Jeeves.

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We first met Jeeves (or his prototype, who we now call Jeeves, Sr.) at a beach house we rented in Rosemary Beach, Florida two years ago. I fell immediately, head-over-heels in love with the little bronze fella and launched a relentless campaign for a Jeeves of our own. I found his maker on-line (Frontgate) and immediately began staging pictures of Jeeves “being helpful around the house” to assist in the case I was presenting my husband to justify spending hard-earned money on a prefabricated metal reptile.

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Whose life wouldn’t be improved with a little assistance from a medium-sized fake lizard with a perky bow tie bearing an ever-so-helpful tray?

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I was so wildly successful in my proposal (or so annoying my husband just gave in) that soon a little Jeeves came to live with us.

We have whole-heartedly incorporated him into our lives and actually dress him up for holidays.

Sure and begorrah, that's me lucky lizard!

Sure and begorrah, that’s me lucky lizard!

Burn's Supper (Scottish Holiday on the birthday of poet Robert Burns)

Burn’s Supper (Scottish Holiday on the birthday of poet Robert Burns)

Baby New Years. (except that when I posted this picture on Facebook, everyone thought David and I were announcing that we were having a child.)

Baby New Years. (except that when I posted this picture on Facebook, everyone thought David and I were announcing that we were having a child.)

He’s wildly handy for al fresco suppers.

Jeeves, Sommelier

Jeeves, Sommelier

We often have him greet party guests at the door with a selection of libations.

"Drinks, anyone?"

“Drinks, anyone?”

So today, I am grateful for my wonderful alligator butler.

And my even more awesome husband for bringing him into our lives.

(By the way, Jeeves has his own Facebook page and would like to be your friend.)

Change in the Weather

I work on the top floors of a highrise in downtown Atlanta.   From my bird’s eye view, I  see the most amazing weather unfolding around me.

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From blue skies…

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to blanketing fog…

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a storm rolling in…

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and lightning’s strike…

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a rare Atlanta snow storm…

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to the dazzling Fall nights and bright city lights…

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and brilliant sunsets drenching the sky in color.

It’s been such an incredible opportunity to see light and wind and water change the world around me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clusterflake 2014

If you are bored with reality TV and the current Sochi Olympic conspiracy dramas, you may have watched the news enough recently to know that metropolitan Atlanta and parts of the Southeastern US have been hit by wintry weather the past 3 days.

While it’s a perfectly valid point that most Atlantans lack the driving skills, 4-wheel drive vehicles or snow chains necessary to safely navigate icy roads and therefore should stay off the streets, there’s still a lot of inherent humor in that the hub of of the New South has been effectively shut down over 1/4 inch of ice.

My favorite of the Ice-pocolyptic images currently floating around Facebook:
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(couldn’t find who to credit the photo to, but “Bravo” to you, unknown Photoshopper! And umm, that’s Atlanta’s own Big Chicken floating around in the back, for all you out-of-towners!)

Next up: the Big Thaw 2014

NaBloPoMo Day 24: Just Another Manic Sunday…

Wow. Twenty-four days already. I can’t believe there’s less than a week left in NaBloPoMo.

I can’t say that it hasn’t been a hectic 3 weeks to try to cram writing into. I may have started this month’s blogging with a Lazy Sunday, but it’s certainly not ending on one, which kinda sucks. Lazy Sundays are brilliant and amazing and very far between.

This is a Manic Sunday, painfully truer to norm. And this one’s actually extra crazed due to the holiday next week. We’re spending Thanksgiving at the mountain house with my parents and David’s mom so there’s tons of stuff to do: groceries to buy, house and yard work to catch up on before we leave, a week’s full of errands and chores crammed into a day and a half.

First stops: Costco, Kroger and Publix to stock up on trip food and turkey-day goodies. We are not the only ones, apparently, with the same goal. Weaving in and out of the parking lot mayhem, battened by honking horns and snarling drivers we coin a new phrase: “Dial back the douchbaggery!” (or “Buddy, dial down the douche!” for short.)

Looks like everyonetting their Pilgrim on.

Everyone’s is getting their Pilgrim on.

The grocery stores, of course, are covered floor-to-ceiling with holiday food displays and mobbed wall-to-wall with people dragging small children, heaping carts full of cans, boxes, bags and bottles and dashing in and about the fray.

This is kinda scary.  It looks like a very angry butternut squash.

This is kinda scary. It looks like a very angry butternut squash that somehow barfed on itself. Which might be why it’s angry.

But also scary: the mile of frozen Butterballs.

Somehow equally scary: the mile of frozen Butterballs.

After a near miss with a careening buggy and some busted toes from an amok child, I withdrew from the chaos and busied myself window shopping in the wine aisle while David dervished his way through the deli and check out.

Meat Counter Madness

Meat Counter Madness

Finally! Groceries home and unloaded and David on to his next list, I was off to the loft and my own agenda. Fur kid comestibles from Petsmart, petrol for the car, some black tights for the work week. ::sigh:: Lots of stuff, little time.

However…my nail salon was just around the bend, so after filling up the car, I struck off on an impulsive mani-mission.

Got the claws trimmed! Wonderful iron grey polish with iridescent sparkles.  Probably not "brand" at work, but I'll keep a low profile and wear gloves coming in and out of the lobby.

Got the claws trimmed! Wonderful iron grey polish with iridescent sparkles.

Paws prettily polished, my heart was somewhat lightened. I jaunted back across town, singing along with the radio, hoping to find a little relaxation with the hubs while there was daylight left.

Finally a moment to enjoy the beautiful fall day.

Finally a moment to enjoy the beautiful fall day.

We’d been running since morning, with no time for breakfast and lunch, so trying to at least capture a fleeting feel of lazy Sunday, I surprised David with an early “Breakfast for Dinner,” with bacon, stone ground grits, scrambled eggs and mimosas to reward him for his afternoon victory in the on-going war against the leaves.

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Yum. Manic to start, but at least it’s meandering down to something more relaxing. Now for a little blogging to wrap up my week, maybe a movie and a cozy fire in the fireplace.

Here’s to a lovely Sunday to all of you.

Cheers!

Cheers!

NaBloPoMo Day 17: Near Wild Heaven

1395212_3536028375981_247268874_nNear Wild Heaven – one of my forever favorite R.E.M. songs (eclipsed only slightly by “Me in Honey,” however; both conveniently located within the same album).

Beer Wild Heaven – a fabulous craft brewery conveniently located in Decatur, Georgia.

This is the tale of our superlative beer dinner at the restaurant last week.

The foundation of this malty meal began over a year ago, when we sponsored a Sun Dial Booth at Corks and Forks, the food and booze tent of the Summer Shade Festival at Candler Park. My colleague, Cheryl and I were working the room, hustling shots of Chef’s watermelon gazpacho to the other vendors for drinks and snacks.

And then we stumbled into heaven.

wh4-blWild Heaven.

I would like to clarify that I am not a beer lover. Perhaps the occasional “canoe” beer by the pool or lake, or the rare treat of a frosty Abita Turbo Dog (a brew fetish born of sorority road trips to New Orleans.)

This beer was different. It was unique…fresh! Complex! Caramely-creamy with just a hint of coffee to cut the sweetness! Holy Sixpack, Batman!

My view on beer forever altered,
we ran back to our booth to share our treasure with Chef. A vision dawned that day…the glimmers of a dream to pair Jason’s farm-to-table cuisine with this nectar of the grain gods.

We discussed it so frequently over the next year, it was more than a done deal in our heads – we were actually trying to figure out when we could get it on the calendar.

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It occurred to us, around May, while working our table at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival and sharing with our plans for a Wild Heaven beer dinner with random strangers and media, we had neglected one crucial detail.

Actually discussing our plans with Wild Heaven.

Fortunately, they were participating at AFWF too, so a quick visit to their tent garnered a meeting with Sarah Young, their marketing guru and Nick Purdy, the founder.

We were on!

Over the next few months, Jason crafted a phenomenal menu based on the four selected beers, including a custom dessert to compliment a rare stout from brewer Eric Johnson’s personal stock.

Last Tuesday, we gathered for what (in my relatively extensive dining experience) was one of the best tasting and most creative pairing dinners I’ve had the privilege to enjoy.

Lump Crab Hush Puppies with Pickled Okra Tartar Sauce

1st Course: Lump Crab Hush Puppies with Pickled Okra Tartar Sauce with a pour of Ode de Mercy, Imperial Brown Ale

Southern BBQ Salad with Butter Greens, Spicy Shrimp, Picked Bacon, Radish, NC BBQ Vinaigrette

2nd Course: Southern BBQ Salad with Butter Greens, Spicy Shrimp, Picked Bacon, Radish, NC BBQ Vinaigrette served with Invocation, a Belgian-style Golden Ale

Entree: Suckling pig - Chops, Cheeks with Pimento Cheese Grits, Quadruple Ale Reduction and Chopped Peanuts served with Eschaton, a Belgian-style Quadruple Ale aged on Pinot Noir Oak Chips

Entree: Suckling pig – Chops, Cheeks with Pimento Cheese Grits, Quadruple Ale Reduction and Chopped Peanuts served with Eschaton, a Belgian-style Quadruple Ale aged on Pinot Noir Oak Chips

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Dessert: Chocolate Cremeux, Crushed Pretzel, Bourbon Caramel, Ode de Mercy Gelato

Surprise dessert pairing from Brewmeister Eric, a Chocolate Orange Stout.

Surprise dessert pairing from Brewmaster Eric Johnson – a Chocolate Orange Stout.

Truly a meal close to heaven.

Images courtesy of Drunk on Life

NaBloPoMo Day 9: Weekly Photo Challenge – Habit

NaBloPoMo_November_small_0I am definitely enjoying NaBloPoMo so far,  that is if enjoy is the best word. There’s certainly a thrill in the challenge.

I  do like that I’ve made a commitment to writing.  Well at least to posting – I’ve managed to put something up every day. I still have a feeling of accomplishment  however fledgling; that I’ve created something, taken one step closer to my goal, created a routine of blogging.

So far I’ve shown you a lot of images, but I haven’t shared a lot of words.  I’m hoping this will change – I do have things to say.  Right now, with the stress of work and the fear of failing, it’s all muddled into a giant puddle in my head, needing to be sorted and categorized and mastered.

In the meantime, I have pictures. 

That’s how the words start in my head, after all. I am truly grateful for the daily prompts and photo challenges giving me an opportunity to show you these images; the seeds of my words, the foundation of this new habit.

Coincidentally, this week’s WordPress photo challenge (and this day’s writing “cop-out” since I spent the entire afternoon cleaning the loft and doing unskilled surgery on my vacuum cleaner):

“Show us something that’s a HABIT. Capture a moment both constant and fleeting.”

Many bloggers posting to this challenge have shown moments from the habit of their daily lives.  It’s a lovely window into their uniqueness, illustrating the individual behind the post.

Here’s a snippet from some of my my “habits” – a snapshot of a typical midweek morning.  I hope you enjoy the look.

The first request for breakfast.

Upon waking, the first {semi-polite} request for breakfast.

The next request for breakfast.

The next request for breakfast, this one with a little more volume. And muscle.

Coffee on the veranda as the sun comes up.

Maybe time for coffee on the veranda as the sun comes up. More likely running maniacally around the loft looking for my I.D. badge or name tag.

It's one of the prettiest angles of the city skyline but it's a lot of cars between me and my office.

It’s one of the prettiest angles of the city skyline but there’s still a lot of cars sandwiched between me and my office.

Winding my way to the heart of downtown.

Winding my way to the heart of downtown.

Ten or twenty minutes to wrassle an elevator to the top, but the view outside my office is pretty sweet.  Now, on to work!

Ten or twenty minutes to wrassle an elevator to the top, but the view outside my office is pretty sweet. Now, on to work!